Ponine Meets the Marble Statue
by FireCube
Summary: One-shot of the actual fighting at the barricade. I know Enjolras doesn't really talk to Eponine that much, but I didn't want it to be to OOC. Also, Eponine is by far my favorite character, but her (childish) infatuation was part of her character, so I included that as well. (If you can't tell, I absolutely detest Marius.)


"FIRE ON MY COMMAND!" a young man barked. This man was named Enjolras. Like his name suggested, he was a charming young man who was capable of being terrible. The mingled rain and sunshine caused his blue eyes to sparkle and his blond hair to shine. His stern face resembled that of a marble statue. His piercing red jacket radiated hope in the otherwise dim lighting. His over-six-foot-tall stature made him appear as a god in human form.

It was quite obvious that this was the man leading the barricade. He was the most willing to sacrifice his life for his only mistress; France. He was the one most infuriated with the government. He was the one the people were willing to follow. He was the one who would have single-handedly defeated the entire army if given the chance. Although Enjolras was a man in the most technical sense, his godliness left him unfazed when he discovered that no one in all of France was courageous enough to join his fight for freedom. Even though he was left with only a few man and guns to defend the barricade, Enjolras stood tall and proud, only further invigorated by the news.

Some genius had left the ammo sitting out in the rain the night before, rendering most of it unusable. Only a few bullets were salvageable. Enjolras and his men were left with practically useless guns. Although the men still had spirit and hope, Enjolras knew that they were fishes in a barrel. He could already imagine it; the army men would march through the barricade, tearing it down in the process. The men on the barricade would be picked off one by one, like targets in a video game. Enjolras would be the last one standing, and with a triumphant shout, the revolution would die.

Enjolras shook his head, trying to forget the bloody images he had just envisioned. Even though he held his head high and spoke with unwavering confidence, Enjolras knew that chances of success were slim. Perhaps some omnipotent power would bestow the blessing of survival upon the men at the barricade. Enjolras held on to this hope as the army men marched ever closer.

At the barricade, all that could be heard was the heavy breathing of the men and synchronized footsteps several hundred yards away. The humid air added to the tension between the army and the men at the barricade.

The sound of a pin hitting the floor could be heard behind the barricade and everyone turned toward where the sound came from. Quiet cursing could be heard following the drop, but no figure was to be seen. However, if anyone had bother to look closer at the shadows, they would have noticed a figure clothed in rags, having the appearance of a boy but the stature and mannerisms of a girl. As usual, no one noticed Eponine. Except for Marius. Marius quietly rose from his crouched position and walked toward the shadows.

"'Ponine?" he called out into the darkness.

"Over here", she replied in a hushed voice. Marius' eyes opened wide in fright.

"What are you doing here? You must leave 'Ponine! You are not safe here, go find a place to hide at once!"

"I…I… I came for you," Eponine responded weakly. "I wanted to make sure you were safe, please let me stay", she added. Marius' face took on an unsmiling appearance, an expression Eponine had never seen before.

"Eponine, get out of here _right_ now, you are not safe!" He commanded as he shoved Eponine away from the barricade.

"But -" Eponine managed to blurt out before turning around and seeing Marius marching back toward the barricade. She was not going to let his stubbornness push her away. She resolved to stay and keep him safe, at all costs.

"Perhaps this is what love is supposed to be," Eponine thought to herself, "the willingness to sacrifice one for another." She smiled as she continued to lurk in the shadows.

Soon enough, the army men came into view. Enjolras tensed up and barked out an order to the men to wait until the men got close enough to shoot. Eponine noticed him for the first time, his blond curls bouncing as he gave commands to his men. Next to Enjolras sat a small fellow, no more than ten or twelve years old. Eponine let out a sharp gasp as she realized this was Gavroche, her baby brother. He had a serious face on while holding a small pistol, ready to fire. Eponine's pulse sped up exponentially as she was caught between protecting her brother and protecting Marius. She decided to move closer to both Gavroche and Marius and try to protect them both, while she remained in the shadows.

The first wave of shots rang out in the air. Pieces of wood flew through the air, and falling bodies hit the pavement left and right. The bloodshed had begun. Every so often, a figure at the barricade would pitch forward and stay slumped over, and more often, a man in the army ranks would fall. The excessive bloodshed coated the pavement in a layer of shiny red blood that stained the bottom of all shoes.

Suddenly, the firing ceased. Both sides needed time to reload. In the smoke from the guns, a small figure could be seen darting around, picking up ammo from the deceased. Eponine gasped in horror as she watched her baby brother in front of the barricade, picking up ammo as he hummed to himself. She didn't dare call out to him, for fear of drawing attention to him, but she was scared out of her mind. She was ready to climb over the barricade and pull him over herself when a single shot rang out. No wood splintered, nothing went flying. Everything was silent. The bullet had found its mark. It had buried itself deep inside Gavroche's heart.

To Eponine, everything had happened in slow motion. She saw the gold-tipped bullet flying through the air, spinning and traveling at a million miles an hour. She opened her mouth to call Gavroche's name. His name died on the tip of her tongue as the bullet found its mark. Casting aside any common sense, Eponine began climbing over the barricade, not caring that there were well over a hundred guns pointed at her. As she struggled over the barricade, a rough hand pulled her down.

"What do you think you're doing?" Enjolras demanded.

"That's… that's… that's my brother out there. Lying on the pavement, awaiting death," she sobbed, holding her head in her hands. For the first time, Enjolras' marble face cracked. His normally unwavering expression faltered while his eyes filled with concern. Enjolras didn't understand why his feeling were wavering. Why was he sympathizing with this girl dressed as a boy that he had never seen before? Enjolras sighed as he remembered the death of his little brother several years before. Several paces behind Eponine, Marius stood, horrified at Gavroche's death. He walked toward Eponine with a sad expression plastered across his face as he called out to her.

"'Pon- Ahhh!" Marius screamed as he stumbled backwards. A bullet had embedded itself right below Marius' right shoulder blade. The army man had aimed for his heart, but Marius had turned around to offer Eponine his condolences. This movement had caused Marius to move ever-so-slightly to the left, leaving the bullet just below his shoulder blade. The shot was not as fatal as if the bullet had struck his heart, but the bullet punctured his right lung. Marius groaned as he pressed his hand into his side, attempting to staunch the flow of blood. Eponine rushed over to his side and rested his head on her knees.  
"Marius-" she choked out. Words failing her, she began to sing:

 _But you will live, Marius – dear God above,_

 _If I could heal your wounds with words of love._

 _You would live a hundred years_

 _If I could show you how_

 _I won't desert you now…_

 _A little fall of rain_

 _Can hardly hurt you now_

 _I'm here_

 _I will stay with you_

 _Till you are sleeping_

 _And rain… will make the flowers grow_.

As Marius' breath stopped completely, Eponine began rocking his head and forth, hugging his now inanimate body. She leaned down to plant a gentle kiss on his forehead and a stream of tears escaped her, flowing as if a dam had just broke. She sobbed quietly as she hugged his body.

Before she could grieve for long, another shot rang out. This time, wood could be heard splintering; the bullet had missed its mark. Enjolras jumped as he realized that bullet was meant for him. He had been gazing at the dying Marius. Enjolras' marble expression returned as he loaded his rifle and pointed it at the enemy lines. Before he was able to load his rifle, another army man shot at him. Enjolras was too busy reloading his gun to notice. Out of nowhere, a figure sprouted wings and flew sideways, taking the impact of the bullet. A loud thump could be heard as the body hit the ground. Almost as if he had not been shot, the figure rose to his feet in a drunken stupor.

"Grantaire!" Enjolras shouted, realizing that Grantaire had just taken a bullet for him.

"My dear frie-" Grantaire managed to say before tripping over his own feet and falling flat on his face. Enjolras rushed over and helped Grantaire to his feet.

"Must… must… France… save… fight!" Grantaire mumbled as a sea of red seeped through his clothing. Seemingly unfazed by his wound, Grantaire picked up an empty bottle that he had finished a few moments before and chucked it at the opposing army. The glass shattered as Grantaire picked up a rifle and aimed it at the army.

" _Vive la France! Vive la Revolution!_ " He cried as he fired rounds into the army. Unable to sit still, Enjolras stood next to Grantaire and brandished his rifle in the air as he shouted:  
" _Pour la France! Pour la Revolution!_ "

Eponine stood by, unsure of what to do. She felt that her life had been taken away the moment Marius had died. For months, she had followed him, admired him, and tried to get him to notice her, only to be ignored. Even though Marius ignored her, she still was grateful to him for his act of kindness. He had helped her get up (even though it was he who had knocked her over in the first place) when she had fallen. She misconstrued his small act and her misunderstanding had blossomed into what she perceived as love. This love gone, Eponine wasn't sure what to do with herself. His presence had been the only thing that had made her happy. Perhaps joining him would be the best thing to do, Eponine decided. She picked up a small rifle from a fallen man near her and stood next to Grantaire and Enjolras, trying to appear tall and fierce.

" _Pour l'amour!_ " she screamed as the battle ensued.


End file.
